When you go tiny, every little detail matters. That’s why we spent SO MUCH TIME designing our tiny house; we wanted to be delighted with the results and not feel we were compromising on those things most important to us, like a big kitchen, clean, modern lines, and plenty of windows to let in the natural light and surrounding beauty. Fast forward a year and we LOVE OUR TINY HOUSE! 🙂
When starting out we found it very helpful to look at other tiny houses to pick and choose ideas we liked, so hopefully sharing this tour will do the same for you. Click on the gallery thumbnail images to view larger versions, and don’t miss the video tour at the end. Jump to video tour
Exterior
We designed our home from the inside out but knew we wanted a modern exterior aesthetic. While we had rough window locations and the split shed roof in mind, we relied on 2 Wilsons Architects to pull it all together and produce the result you see here. The metal bump-out on the corner was their idea for how to cluster those windows together, which resulted in the added benefit of more space in the bunks for our daughters. We couldn’t be happier with the final product.
More Exterior Pictures
Kitchen
My wife is a cookbook author so, naturally, the kitchen is where we started. LOTS of counter space was a must, as well as a gas range. Here are some more details:
- 18″ panel front dishwasher
- Silestone countertops with 2.5″ apron
- Gas range with electric oven
- Tall refrigerator with filtered water dispenser, ice-maker, and freezer on the bottom
- Pull-out trash can
- Custom storage including large lazy Susan and long pull out shelves under sink
- Custom walnut shelves
- Future projects include a small range hood (wrapped to match the wall), a disposal, and a removable 1ft counter extension to create a dining area opposite the pictured stools
More Kitchen Pictures
Living Room
Our goals in the living room were to bring the outside in, provide a place the whole family could chill, and offer additional sleeping capacity for guests. The couch has a trundle bed that pulls out (for two sleeping areas high and low) and pops up (for one large area to sleep or lounge). It’s a great place for the family to play games or watch a movie if the weather is bad.
So where is the TV, you may be wondering? For now, we set a laptop on one of the acrylic stools and run sound through a Bluetooth speaker, but soon I’ll be custom mounting a 27″ flat screen inside of a flip top/bench ottoman. Also, the tall 2×2 ft tower in the corner across from the stairs (see pics below) is storage for shoes, our vacuum, an extra stool, and shelves for miscellaneous items.
More Living Room Pictures
Bathroom
With four people sharing the tiny house, including my wife and two daughters aged 10 and almost 13, we did NOT want to share a single tiny sink with no counter space like you see in so many tiny homes. Instead, we designed a 6 ft counter with two sinks, a kneehole with acrylic stool between, and four huge drawers plus two medicine cabinets for storage. And bonus, we have a window with a view of the mountains and sunset!
The “bathroom” is actually separated into two areas by a sliding pocket door: the above-mentioned “vanity hall” and the “shower room” containing a full-sized conventional toilet, a full-sized combo washer/dryer, and a 5ft deep walk-in shower complete with a frosted glass door and both standard and rain shower heads. With this configuration, our family members can simultaneously (and privately) take a shower, use the toilet, and utilize two sinks. The vanity hall can be shut off from the living room with another pocket door.
More Bathroom Pictures
More Pictures
I’ll be updating this page soon with pictures of the bunks and loft, but for now you can view the video tour below.
Awesome Tiny House!!!
Thanks Debra, we love it.
Question… what about the kids storage for clothing?
Yes~ Just wanted to echo this opinion. It’s an interesting, contemporary design, and just beautiful to look at!
Thank you for the tour..
Very nice work Jason, impressed with your vision and detail.
Zabs! Nice to hear from you. I’ll take credit for attention to detail, but the design was a joint effort 🙂
Are you comfortable sharing total cost to build?
Hey Kaylee – The price will vary with the builder you choose and selections you make in terms of materials, appliances, and fixtures. We originally got quotes from various builders from the low $80s to low $90s, however since our design and selections became more concrete as we progressed our final cost (through Blue Ridge Tiny Homes) was around $111k. I was told they’d charge more if they were to build it again, but you’d have to contact them directly to discuss your specific build and to get a current quote.
Unless you are buying a standard model from a builder (that they build all the time), having a design in hand will definitely result in more accurate quotes from builders and help avoid project cost overruns since there will be less uncertainty.
What are the bathroom and kitchen counters made of? Love them!
Thanks Chelsea. They are made of quartz (Silestone is the brand).
If you were to move it, what kind of truck is needed?
Hi Jill – We had a professional mobile home transport company move the house for us due to the crazy narrow road mountain road to our property (and the fact that I don’t have a truck, ha!). The builder informed me the home weighs approximately 21,000 pounds, so I imagine a super heavy duty truck like an F-350 or Ram 3500 would do it, assuming the correct options were chosen to reach that towing capacity. – Jason
Love your Tiny House. Where did you get your sofa from? Thanks
Thanks Lorie! A lot of people have been asking, so I updated the FAQ with the info. We ordered the couch (Reston queen sleeper) from Crate and Barrel and chose a reasonably priced custom color. We wanted a compact couch that would expand to a platform style bed (as opposed to removing cushions and folding out a frame/mattress) so we could easily pop it out for watching family movies together. We like it except it is a bit too firm.
I love the layout of your house. I would like to know where the mechanics are housed ( water heater, furnace, water waste system)?
Thanks Nancy. The instant hot water heater is in a cabinet on the outside of the house (hitch end) behind the shower. For heat (and A/C) we use the (electric) mini-split heat pump. One half is above the fridge and the other half is outside against the house (also on the hitch end). We have a septic tank on the property so the house uses standard plumbing waste pipes under the house that converge into one line with a gate valve and flexible hose, just like on an RV. I will perform a custom tiny wood burning stove installation later this year as well. This is more for ambiance and our enjoyment, but it will also serve as a backup heat source should the power go out. Hope that helps!
Absolutely love this tiny home packed with gorgeous details and necessities!!!
This is the most gorgeous tiny home I have seen. I absolutely love everything you have done. What are the overall dimensions? I’m looking at a 12×30 design and now need a bunk room! Lol thanks and enjoy!!
I love your tiny house! Now that it has been in use, can you think of anything in the design that you wish you had done differently?
Thanks Rose! One thing that we are lacking is some sort of overhang roof structure to facilitate eating outdoors even when it is raining outside. But I’m not sure if that could have been incorporated given our other design goals (mainly maximizing windows). A retractable fabric roof might work, but we’d have to be careful not to leave it up in windy conditions. We are really happy with the design. I do need to make a 1ft removable countertop extension for more comfortable family meals at the kitchen counter peninsula (it will be stored behind the couch). That was the plan all along; I just haven’t gotten around to it. – Jason
I LOVE your tiny home! Great design.
Will you please share info on what brands &
model #’s your appliances are ? (Refrig, Range, DW, washer/dryer)
What kind of fridge is that? Compact and the water/ice door option! Very cool! Love your design. It’s obvious a LOT of thought and planning went into your home!
Hello Jason! I am designing a tiny house with a very similar bathroom/hallway set up. Do any of you feel cramped trying to move around in that space or have any other issues that I should address before I finalize my plans? Thank you!
Hi Olivia, I guess it’s all relative considering it is a tiny house, but we really like the setup. You could have one family member using the washer/toilet area, one person in the shower, and one person at each of the two sinks all at the same time. If you have two people in the hall using sinks and another person needs to walk past it’s a bit cramped, but it’s really not problematic unless someone has a drawer pulled out in front of them. Hope that helps!
Hi! I’m building a tiny house in Colorado and I’m looking for a stove. I really like yours, would you mind telling me where you got it? Your home is beautiful and inspiring.
Thanks Lily, and good luck with your house! Here is the info on our stove: https://anconahome.com/products/gourmet-24in-dual-fuel-with-convection-oven-freestanding-range. I don’t see it listed any longer on the website we purchased it from, but I’m sure you can find it or a similar one with a little time on Google. – Jason
Another great stove that we have installed is the Blue Star 24” professional Nat. Gas range. currently we have one in stock. $3100 Contact us to take a look. Shipping available
What a beautiful home! I love the design! I’m considering building a tiny home of mine own. Would you mind sharing what is the total length? Also, how long did it take to build after the you finalized the plans?
Thanks Monica! It is 30 ft long x 10 ft wide. It took about 6 months. – Jason
Hi Jason, Would you consider selling the plans for this?
Hi Holly, check out this page 🙂
https://tinyhousebigdesign.com/see-plans/
Thank you Jason!